Affordable Housing

Socially Conscious Developers Build a Bastion of Affordability in Philly

Inga Saffron reports on the redevelopment of a 19th-century brick mill into workforce housing in Philadelphia's South Kensington neighborhood; a project that proves virtue need not come at the expense of profit for one Philadelphia-based developer.

April 16, 2013 - philly.com

Hoping to Land Public Housing in D.C.? Be Ready to Wait 39 Years

On Friday, the D.C. Housing Authority mercifully closed its insultingly long public housing waiting list. With the average rent at $1,759/month for a one-bedroom apartment, the need for affordable housing in the city is tremendous.

April 14, 2013 - The Washington Post

D.C.'s Displacement Woes Spread to the Suburbs

D.C.'s decade of prosperity and growth has been accompanied by a wave of development and displacement that is now threatening to submerge its inner-ring suburbs. Robert McCartney examines the consequences.

April 6, 2013 - The Washington Post

Trend Towards Engagement Transforms America's Public Housing

Public housing models in the U.S. are becoming more community-oriented and taking varying demographics into account during the design process. Engagement with the street, the neighborhood, and social services are creating new design typologies.

March 29, 2013 - Architectural Record

How New York's Hasidim Solved the City's Affordable Housing Problem

The certainly won't win any design awards, but new multi-family residential buildings erected by Hasidic developers in Brooklyn show that it's possible to build spacious and cheap housing in New York for families small and large.

March 28, 2013 - The New York Observer

Affordable Rental Housing Shortage Touches All

Affordable rental housing is scarce in the US, especially among low income people, finds a new report by the Bipartisan Policy Center. As "the housing demand of Baby Boomers and their children starts to converge," the problem will only get worse.

February 27, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Even New York's 'Affordable' Housing is Too Expensive

A new report calls into question who's benefiting from the Bloomberg administration’s plan to build or preserve 165,000 affordable housing units in the city. Are federal guidelines to blame for 'affordable' units being too costly?

February 21, 2013 - The New York Times

Vienna's Lessons for Building High-Quality Affordable Housing

Could Vienna's century of experience in creating housing that is both affordable and attractive offers lessons for how the U.S. can address its growing affordability crisis? In the Austrian capital, more regulation, not less, leads to cheaper rents.

February 1, 2013 - Governing

Data Shows Inclusionary Housing Is...Inclusionary!

Advocates of inclusionary zoning have something to smile about. A new report from the Rand Corporation confirms that the housing produced by these zoning policies does in fact create or preserve affordable housing in areas of low poverty.

January 24, 2013 - Shelterforce Online

Big Winner of Tiny Apartment Competition Unveiled

Today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the winner of a competition to build a micro-apartment pilot project in Manhattan. Consisting of 55 micro-units measuring between 250 and 375 square feet, the project will utilize modular construction.

January 22, 2013 - The New York Observer

Yuppies are home

Is Zoning to Blame for Brooklyn's Affordability Crisis?

As waves of gentrification sweep through the poor and middle class neighborhoods of New York City's outer boroughs, Stephen Smith argues that conservative, and outdated, zoning codes are to blame for the unequal balance between supply and demand.

January 16, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Affordable Housing with First-Rate Design

Kaid Benfield examines a model 'pocket neighborhood' - Little Rock's Pettaway - which simultaneously improves a declining neighborhood, provides affordable infill housing and applies advanced measures for stormwater control.

January 15, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

A Plea to Finance the National Housing Trust Fund

"[A]ffordable housing remains one of America’s most vexing problems," states an editorial published last weekend in The Times. To help address this problem, the editors challenge the new Congress to finally finance the National Housing Trust Fund.

January 15, 2013 - The New York Times

L.A. Mayoral Candidates Tackle City's Housing Troubles

At a forum held last week, candidates to become L.A.'s next mayor outlined their approaches to tackling the city's most daunting housing challenges - from homelessness to the need for more affordable housing.

January 14, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Despite Agreement, NYC's Promises of Affordable Housing Go Unkept

After the city rezoned Williamsburg, affordable housing was supposed to be built on the grounds of a NYCHA project there. Seven years later, ground has not been broken.

January 8, 2013 - The Brooklyn Bureau

Affordable Housing Got a Boost in 2012

Declining rental vacancy rates and increased interest in urban living are putting upwards pressure on housing prices throughout the country. But 2012 wasn't all bad news for attempts to retain and expand affordable housing in American cities.

January 7, 2013 - Rooflines

Is Rent Control the Solution for Rising Unaffordability?

With rental vacancy rates declining across America, the expansion of rent control policies may seem like a logical solution for protecting vulnerable renters from fast rising prices. But Peter Tatian argues there's little evidence that it works.

January 3, 2013 - Metro Trends

Sound Solutions for Tackling the Affordable Housing Crisis

As part of a series of editorials outlining the priorities President Obama should tackle in his second term, The New York Times looks at how the federal government could help support the increasing number of American's in need of housing assistance.

December 6, 2012 - The New York Times

lego new york

World's Tallest "Lego" Tower to Rise in Brooklyn

An agreement between Forest City Ratner and NYC's labor unions has cleared the way for the construction of Atlantic Yards's next phase. The 32-story prefabricated apartment building will be the tallest of its kind in the world, reports Matt Chaban.

December 5, 2012 - The New York Observer

Can Obama Cure America's Housing Headache?

A series of seemingly intractable obstacles stand in the way of transforming the housing and mortgage markets to reduce government involvement. Peter Eavis asks if a second term president is exactly the force needed to overcome such obstacles.

November 9, 2012 - The New York Times

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